Facebook Looks Set to Merge Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp

After a turbulent 2018 – where Facebook faced scandals over user data privacy, bugs and more besides – the firm appears to be looking firmly to the future, despite further GDPR-based setbacks in recent times. Mark Zuckerberg’s firm, according to The New York Times and a number of mass-media sources, are said to be working on a new way for a number of their popular apps to finally communicate with one another. With Facebook retaining control of its own Messenger app, one-time rival WhatsApp and photo-sharing network Instagram, it appears that plans are afoot to bring them all under one umbrella. With WhatsApp and Messenger having operated autonomously from one another over the years, a merging does make sense at least to a practical degree.

Facebook is thought to be working on a new way to bring its popular messaging platforms together so that they can all communicate as one. This means changing much of the infrastructure, it is assumed, so that – for example – a WhatsApp user can communicate with a Messenger contact without having to switch apps. The same, too, would ring true for Instagram. End-to-end encryption is also continuing to be promised as and when the merger finally concludes.

A spokesperson for Facebook helped to break down some of the plans in a little clearer detail. “We want to build the best messaging experiences we can; and people want messaging to be fast, simple, reliable and private.”

“We’re working on making more of our messaging products end-to-end encrypted and considering ways to make it easier to reach friends and family across networks. As you would expect, there is a lot of discussion and debate as we begin the long process of figuring out all the details of how this will work.”

A merger such as this does make sense for Facebook to pursue, as it does for its users to adopt. There is a clear message with regard to privacy, too – indicating that the brand is continuing to push new privacy tools and controls for users following the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018. Plans to unify the messaging services are, from what the statement suggests, well underway – meaning that the brand’s shelf life could extend even further. It’s thought that the new changes may emerge as soon as later this year, though it’s also being suggested we won’t see unified communications between apps until at least 2020. As always – stay tuned!